09 January 2006
Best of MMV
It's self-indulgent, but it's also nice recalling the year, looking it over. I saw/heard a lot of live music this year. Spent a lot of good time with friends. These are the events that shaped '05 for me, in driveby fashion:
JANUARY
I was completely in love with the spinning wheel that N&M gave me for Christmas. There was much spinning, buying of fiber, visiting spinning guilds. There was also a bit of knitting in coffee shops.
My sister and I visited Charleston, SC and saw Michael Flynn and Biv at Cumberland's. Flynn's songs were great, Biv's music was a bit lackluster, but they had great stage presence. Their bass player, Danny, was always interacting with the drummer. Interestingly, the two bands have formed up and are now Slow Runner.
FEBRUARY
Secret Machines at the Magic Stick - awesome show. Much better than when they opened for Interpol at the State Theater. Snowboarding, MMBA annual meeting (always good to see the MTB friends in the dead of winter), Soweto Gospel Choir and Kodo drummers in Ann Arbor with the 'rents, Neva, Brewster and Bender, and Aunt Mary.
Gold Party, dancing til the cops came (at 5a), then a little sleepover.
MARCH
Hamtramck Blowout, met Porchsleeper, fell in love.
Other local yay for the earholes: The Fluoride Program, and the Great Lakes Myth Society.
Bought my snowboard, Martha and I were: Drunk on a Wednesday!
joined the cult with an iPod shuffle. Sascha was concussed, visited Searchmont, boarding with N&M. The horrible pre-Easter Memorial Dinner.
APRIL
Trio Mediaeval at a church in Ann Arbor. GLMS, TFP and the Sleepers at 313 Jac. Motor City Music Conference, much carousing and drinking. Happy epiphany at the Moby concert with Tom (thanks Tom!).
Jimmy Chamberlain with Bekkala, got a CD autographed for my Dad. Velvet Revolver in the Suites at the Palace with Karen. Yankee TT, the mountain bike ass kicking begins. Unfortunately it is my ass being kicked.
MAY
Clarkston Back 40 ride with Mike and Marts turns out to be 48miles. Oww.
5/20: Indepenence day - 2 years of official divorcedness. I took my CPL app to the county. 'twas a good day.
Met Casey, Ginny's bf from Portland. He came and took her away. M&P were sad.
24 hours of Boyne Race - won again. I was without entourage, but enjoyed visiting friends in other condos, and my teammates are some of the best babes on bikes ever, thanks also to the support crew, Mark and Tracy, you're the best.
JUNE:
Terrible performance at Whiskey Creek stage race. The winner of my cross country race was standing at the finish line, cheering me on as I went out for my last sandy sweaty lap. Demoralizing.
Lumberjack100: convinced Nick to go. shacked up with Tracy, Shirlee, and the Shues. Nick rode with me, bailed at 40mi after separating his shoulder. I bailed around the 60mi mark. Threw up at 10miles, rode another 50 without eating, and got off the bike because I was so dizzy. Cried my head off. I was so disappointed that I didn't finish all 100 miles. Marts kicked my ass for it in the beer aisle of the convenience store, reminding me that I really did an amazing thing, that it was the longest singletrack ride I've ever done, and under serious physical stress. At the awards that night, I got a prize. Because while I didn't finish, I was in the top 5. I spent the rest of the season enjoying a big bottle of chocolate hammer gel.
Nick, on the other hand, did his impression of a sprinkler on Sunday morning before heading out to breakfast with my 'rents. Boy sprayed lemon/lime gatorade further than your average lawn-watering device. And with more panache.
Modest Mouse and Camper Van Beethoven at the State Theater. All the little indie girls looked alike in their flipflops, short denim skirts, and tank tops. except Marts and me, we're not girls to fit in.
JULY:
Porchsleeper record release - I'm thanked in the liner notes! :D Stony Marathon race - bailed due to back injury on a crash. Island lake, first trip to Poto (riding out with the guy who separated his shoulder). New stem for my road bike - much better riding position now.
Ani Difranco concert. Maybe we should hit the Panic Button, Someone call the girl police, and file a report!
Weekend at Ft. Custer with N&M. Spent the whole time riding, swimming, and getting drunk by the campfire. My long blonde hair was a wet mess the whole time. on the 28th they came over and cut it all off.
AUGUST:
Secret Machines with the Kings of Leon, SM was great, and we walked out on KoL. They just weren't worth the hearing loss.
Lots of back roads rides with the Flying Rhinos, oh the dirt roads of Clarkston kick my butt.
Ore to Shore, just Marts and me. We stayed with her mom, and had a good girlie time up in Marquette. I improved my time, and Miss Martha finished the Hard Rock!
Then Nick, Marts and I took off for Oregon. Bummin around Bend, climbing for 2hours up real mountains. Hangin with Gin and Casey - she really is growing up out there, making her own decisions. I'm proud of her.
SEPTEMBER:
I helped a little around the shop at Paint Creek Bikes. More good Michigan riding. But I was all skittish after renting a full suspension in OR, getting back on my little aluminum Tinkerbell hardtail was pretty tough. Especially since one of my first rides back was Pontiac Lake. I skipped the Pontiac race, but raced Addison Oaks (I love that course - Pauly has done an amazing job banking the corners and making that trail flow. Plus there was a new log ride. woo!)
Talk Like a Pirate day was a big hit at work. I met Karen's Boyfriend for the first time, as we planned our trip to Vegas.
Drunken cycling through downtown detroit into the wee hours of the morning. There was an aaaaawful lot of drinkin this time, camelbacks full of delicious adult beverages and kindly souls interested in sharing.
I paid a little visit to the chick who rearranges the inside of my head. Psychologist, you would call her. I sort of got squared up to the idea that I was lonely, and wanted to start dating. Thus began a mad dating spree, internet shopping on eBoy.
OCTOBER
Gambling with the 'rents at the MGM casino downtown. Dating, Porchsleeper, knitting with the girls Up North. Bike ride with Teresa and Shirlee at Holdridge, just girls, no racing. Met a boy at the Twilight Babies concert, when I got stood up by someone else. Birthday party for Nick, Broken Social Scene at the Majestic (horrible acoustics, sold out show, the bouncer's quote: "Focus, right here. This is a sold out show, there are no tickets left.") I did wear a red wig to work for my Bo Peep costume. It was a hit, but I didn't win best prize..
NOVEMBER
Guster in Ann Arbor with Marts! Iceman - Victory! $135, a jersey and a blue ribbon medal for first place in the Lady Clydesdale category. Thank you, weight class, rewarding joi de vivre! Drunken temp tattoo application, gin gimlets, sans the gimlet and duking it out in the rain, my very first barfight. Ok Go and She Wants Revenge with the boy I met at Twilight Babies.
Vegas with Karen, more like being trapped in a mall for 5 days, but a good recon mission. Now we know.
Then I was sicksicksick with a terrible cold. Then better, more Porchsleeper, serious drunken frolics the night before Thanksgiving. And turkey day at the cottage with the 'rents. Finally, Depeche Mode, a night of nonstop strange.
DECEMBER
Gussied up for the Brose Prom, yoga, new boy(friend). Shooting with Allie, XC skiing with Pia. Coffee, cake, and ear piercing apparata with a glatze coworker. Christmas parties and madness. Anxiety over gifts, trying to slow the bf down. Spike and Mike's sick and twisted - ran into my cousin who lives in Madison WI.
At the last - New Year's Eve - dinner with the boy's friends, and then drinking and dancing til 4am. Best lesson in December: Stoli vodka doesn't give you a hangover. I've tried it twice now, and am convinced. Gitcher drink on, and you'll just be a little tired in the morning.
FAVORITE BOOKS:
The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Alterknits - Leigh Radford
Viking Patterns for Knitting - Elsebeth Lavold
Weekend Knitting - Melanie Falick
Folk Shawls - Cheryl Oberle
FAVORITE MUSIC:
2005 Music I listened to all the time:
Chocolate - Snow Patrol
What You Waiting For? - Gwen Stefani
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Girl U Want - Devo
Girl Anachronism - The Dresden Dolls
Southern Belles in London Sing - The Faint
Wonderful Night - Fatboy Slim
Perfekte Welle - Juli
Walking With a Ghost - Tegan & Sara
Soul Sloshing - Venus Hum
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
Hotel Yorba - The White Stripes
Don't Cha - The Pussycat Dolls
Lion's Mane - Iron & Wine
Jezebel - Iron & Wine
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service
The Sound of Settling - Death Cab for Cutie
Such Great Heights - Iron & Wine
The Past and Pending - The Shins
2005 Favorite songs I heard live (in roughly chronological order):
Everything Is Exactly What It Seems - Michael Flynn
Road Leads Where It's Led - The Secret Machines
Lift Me Up - Moby
Bulletproof - Porchsleeper
Love Story - The Great Lakes Myth Society
Streetcrawler - Jimmy Chamberlin Complex
Take the Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven
Black Cadillacs Modest Mouse - Modest Mouse
Kye (Was A Dead Dog) - Nick Schillace
Origami - Ani Difranco
Little Plastic Castle - Ani DiFranco
Get It Right - The Twilight Babies
Athems fOr A Seventeen Year Old Girl - Broken Social Scene
Jesus on the Radio - Guster
Come Downstairs and Say Hello - Guster
Several Arrows Later - matt pond PA
A Million Ways - Ok Go
These Things - She Wants Revenge
Somebody - Depeche Mode
JANUARY
I was completely in love with the spinning wheel that N&M gave me for Christmas. There was much spinning, buying of fiber, visiting spinning guilds. There was also a bit of knitting in coffee shops.
My sister and I visited Charleston, SC and saw Michael Flynn and Biv at Cumberland's. Flynn's songs were great, Biv's music was a bit lackluster, but they had great stage presence. Their bass player, Danny, was always interacting with the drummer. Interestingly, the two bands have formed up and are now Slow Runner.
FEBRUARY
Secret Machines at the Magic Stick - awesome show. Much better than when they opened for Interpol at the State Theater. Snowboarding, MMBA annual meeting (always good to see the MTB friends in the dead of winter), Soweto Gospel Choir and Kodo drummers in Ann Arbor with the 'rents, Neva, Brewster and Bender, and Aunt Mary.
Gold Party, dancing til the cops came (at 5a), then a little sleepover.
MARCH
Hamtramck Blowout, met Porchsleeper, fell in love.
Other local yay for the earholes: The Fluoride Program, and the Great Lakes Myth Society.
Bought my snowboard, Martha and I were: Drunk on a Wednesday!
joined the cult with an iPod shuffle. Sascha was concussed, visited Searchmont, boarding with N&M. The horrible pre-Easter Memorial Dinner.
APRIL
Trio Mediaeval at a church in Ann Arbor. GLMS, TFP and the Sleepers at 313 Jac. Motor City Music Conference, much carousing and drinking. Happy epiphany at the Moby concert with Tom (thanks Tom!).
Jimmy Chamberlain with Bekkala, got a CD autographed for my Dad. Velvet Revolver in the Suites at the Palace with Karen. Yankee TT, the mountain bike ass kicking begins. Unfortunately it is my ass being kicked.
MAY
Clarkston Back 40 ride with Mike and Marts turns out to be 48miles. Oww.
5/20: Indepenence day - 2 years of official divorcedness. I took my CPL app to the county. 'twas a good day.
Met Casey, Ginny's bf from Portland. He came and took her away. M&P were sad.
24 hours of Boyne Race - won again. I was without entourage, but enjoyed visiting friends in other condos, and my teammates are some of the best babes on bikes ever, thanks also to the support crew, Mark and Tracy, you're the best.
JUNE:
Terrible performance at Whiskey Creek stage race. The winner of my cross country race was standing at the finish line, cheering me on as I went out for my last sandy sweaty lap. Demoralizing.
Lumberjack100: convinced Nick to go. shacked up with Tracy, Shirlee, and the Shues. Nick rode with me, bailed at 40mi after separating his shoulder. I bailed around the 60mi mark. Threw up at 10miles, rode another 50 without eating, and got off the bike because I was so dizzy. Cried my head off. I was so disappointed that I didn't finish all 100 miles. Marts kicked my ass for it in the beer aisle of the convenience store, reminding me that I really did an amazing thing, that it was the longest singletrack ride I've ever done, and under serious physical stress. At the awards that night, I got a prize. Because while I didn't finish, I was in the top 5. I spent the rest of the season enjoying a big bottle of chocolate hammer gel.
Nick, on the other hand, did his impression of a sprinkler on Sunday morning before heading out to breakfast with my 'rents. Boy sprayed lemon/lime gatorade further than your average lawn-watering device. And with more panache.
Modest Mouse and Camper Van Beethoven at the State Theater. All the little indie girls looked alike in their flipflops, short denim skirts, and tank tops. except Marts and me, we're not girls to fit in.
JULY:
Porchsleeper record release - I'm thanked in the liner notes! :D Stony Marathon race - bailed due to back injury on a crash. Island lake, first trip to Poto (riding out with the guy who separated his shoulder). New stem for my road bike - much better riding position now.
Ani Difranco concert. Maybe we should hit the Panic Button, Someone call the girl police, and file a report!
Weekend at Ft. Custer with N&M. Spent the whole time riding, swimming, and getting drunk by the campfire. My long blonde hair was a wet mess the whole time. on the 28th they came over and cut it all off.
AUGUST:
Secret Machines with the Kings of Leon, SM was great, and we walked out on KoL. They just weren't worth the hearing loss.
Lots of back roads rides with the Flying Rhinos, oh the dirt roads of Clarkston kick my butt.
Ore to Shore, just Marts and me. We stayed with her mom, and had a good girlie time up in Marquette. I improved my time, and Miss Martha finished the Hard Rock!
Then Nick, Marts and I took off for Oregon. Bummin around Bend, climbing for 2hours up real mountains. Hangin with Gin and Casey - she really is growing up out there, making her own decisions. I'm proud of her.
SEPTEMBER:
I helped a little around the shop at Paint Creek Bikes. More good Michigan riding. But I was all skittish after renting a full suspension in OR, getting back on my little aluminum Tinkerbell hardtail was pretty tough. Especially since one of my first rides back was Pontiac Lake. I skipped the Pontiac race, but raced Addison Oaks (I love that course - Pauly has done an amazing job banking the corners and making that trail flow. Plus there was a new log ride. woo!)
Talk Like a Pirate day was a big hit at work. I met Karen's Boyfriend for the first time, as we planned our trip to Vegas.
Drunken cycling through downtown detroit into the wee hours of the morning. There was an aaaaawful lot of drinkin this time, camelbacks full of delicious adult beverages and kindly souls interested in sharing.
I paid a little visit to the chick who rearranges the inside of my head. Psychologist, you would call her. I sort of got squared up to the idea that I was lonely, and wanted to start dating. Thus began a mad dating spree, internet shopping on eBoy.
OCTOBER
Gambling with the 'rents at the MGM casino downtown. Dating, Porchsleeper, knitting with the girls Up North. Bike ride with Teresa and Shirlee at Holdridge, just girls, no racing. Met a boy at the Twilight Babies concert, when I got stood up by someone else. Birthday party for Nick, Broken Social Scene at the Majestic (horrible acoustics, sold out show, the bouncer's quote: "Focus, right here. This is a sold out show, there are no tickets left.") I did wear a red wig to work for my Bo Peep costume. It was a hit, but I didn't win best prize..
NOVEMBER
Guster in Ann Arbor with Marts! Iceman - Victory! $135, a jersey and a blue ribbon medal for first place in the Lady Clydesdale category. Thank you, weight class, rewarding joi de vivre! Drunken temp tattoo application, gin gimlets, sans the gimlet and duking it out in the rain, my very first barfight. Ok Go and She Wants Revenge with the boy I met at Twilight Babies.
Vegas with Karen, more like being trapped in a mall for 5 days, but a good recon mission. Now we know.
Then I was sicksicksick with a terrible cold. Then better, more Porchsleeper, serious drunken frolics the night before Thanksgiving. And turkey day at the cottage with the 'rents. Finally, Depeche Mode, a night of nonstop strange.
DECEMBER
Gussied up for the Brose Prom, yoga, new boy(friend). Shooting with Allie, XC skiing with Pia. Coffee, cake, and ear piercing apparata with a glatze coworker. Christmas parties and madness. Anxiety over gifts, trying to slow the bf down. Spike and Mike's sick and twisted - ran into my cousin who lives in Madison WI.
At the last - New Year's Eve - dinner with the boy's friends, and then drinking and dancing til 4am. Best lesson in December: Stoli vodka doesn't give you a hangover. I've tried it twice now, and am convinced. Gitcher drink on, and you'll just be a little tired in the morning.
FAVORITE BOOKS:
The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Alterknits - Leigh Radford
Viking Patterns for Knitting - Elsebeth Lavold
Weekend Knitting - Melanie Falick
Folk Shawls - Cheryl Oberle
FAVORITE MUSIC:
2005 Music I listened to all the time:
Chocolate - Snow Patrol
What You Waiting For? - Gwen Stefani
Somebody Told Me - The Killers
Girl U Want - Devo
Girl Anachronism - The Dresden Dolls
Southern Belles in London Sing - The Faint
Wonderful Night - Fatboy Slim
Perfekte Welle - Juli
Walking With a Ghost - Tegan & Sara
Soul Sloshing - Venus Hum
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
Hotel Yorba - The White Stripes
Don't Cha - The Pussycat Dolls
Lion's Mane - Iron & Wine
Jezebel - Iron & Wine
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service
The Sound of Settling - Death Cab for Cutie
Such Great Heights - Iron & Wine
The Past and Pending - The Shins
2005 Favorite songs I heard live (in roughly chronological order):
Everything Is Exactly What It Seems - Michael Flynn
Road Leads Where It's Led - The Secret Machines
Lift Me Up - Moby
Bulletproof - Porchsleeper
Love Story - The Great Lakes Myth Society
Streetcrawler - Jimmy Chamberlin Complex
Take the Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven
Black Cadillacs Modest Mouse - Modest Mouse
Kye (Was A Dead Dog) - Nick Schillace
Origami - Ani Difranco
Little Plastic Castle - Ani DiFranco
Get It Right - The Twilight Babies
Athems fOr A Seventeen Year Old Girl - Broken Social Scene
Jesus on the Radio - Guster
Come Downstairs and Say Hello - Guster
Several Arrows Later - matt pond PA
A Million Ways - Ok Go
These Things - She Wants Revenge
Somebody - Depeche Mode
